Free Web NovelChapter 16: Negotiations (2)
"It is good to hear that you want to establish a long term trade relation with me," Ronan responded.
Alartun chuckled pleasantly in response. He was internally satisfied and pleased. When asking those questions, he had merely been firing arrows in the dark. He had not been truly expecting Ronan to reveal anything substantial. Ronan had already informed him of more than enough, considering this was their first meeting and there was no established trust between them.
But what Alartun did not know was that Ronan was even more pleased than he was. Every bit of ’information’ he had revealed to Alartun, and to Elicia, for that matter, had been shared in a highly measured manner.
Ronan wanted to maintain a careful balance regarding his perceived status. He did not want to appear either extremely important or entirely disposable.
By claiming that he was nothing more than a salesperson, he had established that he did not possess any vital information regarding the production or manufacture of these goods. By pointing out this limitation, he ensured they would see him as someone of no real value for coercion or harassment.
On the other hand, by highlighting that he was the sole decision maker in this city and that no one else dealt in these products for a vast distance in this region, he had emphasized his vital importance. He had successfully established himself as the single most critical link in the entire operation if they wished to make money through him.
"I believe, if Elicia informed me correctly, that you want half of your payment in gold?" Alartun asked, looking over at Ronan. "And the remaining half in crystals?"
"Yes," Ronan responded.
"So," Alartun asked. "What price are you expecting for a packet of bread and a water bottle?"
"What are you willing to offer?" Elicia interjected.
Alartun looked at her with a brief frown before turning his gaze back toward Ronan.
"She will be the one negotiating the price on my behalf," Ronan remarked.
"As I said, I am only here to establish myself for now. I have no real understanding of the city of Kovliar and its people yet. These first few transactions will serve as a market study for me. Profit and loss are not my main priorities right now. I just want to have a look and understand how things work in Kovliar."
"I see," Alartun nodded thoughtfully.
He turned his attention back to Elicia.
"How many bread packets and water bottles do you have?" He asked.
"This is not how this works, Alartun," Elicia said, shaking her head. freewёbnoνel.com
"No matter how subdued you act or how calm you try to appear, you know the true worth of these products. These goods are not something you can buy on the cheap just because you are buying in bulk. We will negotiate the price of a single bread packet and a single water bottle."
"And do not give me any of your cheesy bullshit reasons," she continued, cutting off whatever objection he was about to raise. "I could easily auction every single product on the street, and there would be an immediate scramble and total chaos for it."
"The only reason I am not doing that is because we want to avoid too much public chaos and prefer to sell everything we have in one go. And you know that even better than I do."
There was not much change in expression on Alartun’s face.
"Fine," he said. "I will offer one red crystal for a packet of bread and five blue crystals for a bottle of water."
"You can convert however much of that you want into gold at the market conversion rate between gold and crystal."
Ronan did not respond immediately. He had a vague idea about the fundamental difference between blue and red crystals. In monetary value, ten blue crystals were equal to one red crystal.
But he had absolutely zero knowledge regarding the rates being offered. It was Elicia’s decision to make.
On the other hand, Elicia suddenly burst out laughing. Her tone was completely mocking, and an expression of pure amusement was plastered across her face.
"Alartun," she said, catching her breath in between her laughter. "I know this is a standard negotiating tactic. You quote a low price, I quote a high price, and then we eventually come to a settlement."
"But are you high or what?" she asked with a chuckle. "I get that you are trying to get a bargain, but at least quote a price that is not entirely laughable."
"One red for bread and five blue for water?" she asked. "Is this a joke to you?"
Alartun once again barely reacted. There was no change in the expression on his face, as he had probably been expecting this exact kind of response from Elicia.
"What do you want?" He asked calmly.
"Four red crystals for a packet of bread and two red crystals for the water," Elicia stated flatly.
"You are asking for too much," Alartun said, shaking his head with a sigh. "I admit that the bread is unique and the water is heavenly."
"But you know the situation out there is not very ideal for crystal collection right now. And no matter how great, tasty, or exquisite the bread and water are, at the end of the day, they are just a means of sustenance. Not a lot of people would be willing to pay such a premium price for these products merely for the taste."
Elicia did not speak.
"One red and five blue crystals for the bread packet, and eight blue crystals for the water bottle," he offered once again.
"You are making laughable offers again, Alartun," Elicia responded with a firm shake of her head.
There was a bit of to-and-fro haggling between the duo for around fifteen minutes before they finally settled on a fair price.
"Three red crystals for the bread packet, and one red and five blue crystals for the water bottle," Alartun repeated, confirming the agreed price.
He and Elicia both wore satisfied looks on their faces. They were both genuinely happy with the deal.
"Can you tell me now exactly how many of the products you are selling?" He asked.
Elicia did not speak. Instead, she got up from her seat and brought the bag holding the bread packets and water bottles out into the center of the hall.
"Nineteen bread packets," she said, "and ten water bottles."
Of the twenty packets that Ronan had brought, one bread packet had already been opened for testing. And of the twelve water bottles, two had been opened, one each by Elicia and Alartun.
"I was expecting a bit more," Alartun remarked as he shuffled through the items and counted them.
"Do not worry," Ronan interjected smoothly. "It is just the beginning. We will have plenty of larger opportunities in the future."
A satisfied smile appeared on Alartun’s face, and he gave Ronan a firm thumbs-up.
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